Rugby: Game on after player row settled

The pre-match war over All Black Israel Dagg's appearance in Hawke's Bay's Maddison Trophy premier club rugby final has ended.
In less than 10 hours, the title will be decided on the field at Napier's Park Island when defending champions Progressive Meats Havelock North take on Dagg's Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports.
On Thursday, Havelock North club co-ordinator Paul McCarthy said his club would play the final under protest and would consider taking the issue to a Sports Arbitration Court hearing if Dagg played.
His club pointed out Dagg, who has been told by All Black coach Graham Henry to play, did not meet a player eligibility rule of having played a minimum two competition games before the play-offs. However on Thursday night, the Havelock club agreed to allow Dagg, who has recovered from a thigh injury, to play.
Pirate first five-eighth and backs coach Aayden Clarke said he didn't want the Dagg saga to overshadow what his side had already achieved - reaching the final with an unbeaten run. "Club rugby serves a purpose ... preparing players for representative and international commitments. If I had to give up my jersey for Izzy I would have," said Clarke.
With Pirate winger Kris Alexander withdrawing with a leg injury, none of the regular Pirate backs have had to lose a place to allow Dagg to take a subs berth.
Clarke is aiming for a third Maddison Trophy winner's medal after captaining the club to title wins in 2004 and 2005.
"I'm pretty stoked, it's been a long road to recovery," said former Magpie Clarke referring to to his knee injury which sidelined him for most of the season.
"I pushed it as hard as I could to make the finals." Should his teammate Tom Symes get game time off the bench, it will be his 100th appearance for the team.
Pirate coach Phil Rumpler will be in charge of a Maddison Trophy final team for the fourth time in eight years of premier coaching. In 2002, he was the head coach of the Napier Old Boys Marist side which won and, in 2009, his Pirate team was beaten by Taradale.
"We're not going to be bullied like we were in 2009. This season's team is a lot more mature," said Rumpler.
Havelock North manager Conrad Waitoa and head coach Murdoch Paewai will be in their 100th match together with the villagers.
It will also be winger Andy Barham's 100th appearance for the visitors.
"Simon joined us for a year in 2007 and has been there every year since," said Waitoa referring to Paewai's assistant coach, Simon Halford, who like Paewai is a former Magpies and Havelock player. That's every year apart from the 2009 year when Waitoa, 42, took a year off to be the Havelock club's club captain and Halford and Paewai a year off to coach the Hawke's Bay under-20s.
Since Paewai and Waitoa have been together with the Havelock North prems, the side has won 85 games, lost 14 and drawn one.
They had back-to-back Nash Cup wins in 2006 and 07 and Maddison Trophy wins in 2008 and last year.
A former Clive and Tamatea player, Waitoa pointed out he is fulfilling a promise he made to his mate and former Magpies and Havelock player, the late Jarrod Cunningham.
"I promised him I would try to keep his favourite club as strong as it was in the 1990s."
The Hawke's Bay union's professional development manager believes their hosts will have the favourite's tag as they have not been hit as hard as the villagers with players withdrawn for Magpies commitments.
BOTH TEAMS
* Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports: Jarrod McCarthy, Bryn Uriarau, David Neilson, Ben Allen, Matt Hill, Aayden Clarke, Michael Ruru, Marcus Donovan (captain), Dane McCarthy, Lloyd Foote, Roger McPherson, Karl Bloxham, Conrad Rieter, Matt Martin, Kelsey Miller.
Substitutes, forwards: Johnny Morrison, Tom Symes, Matt Maxwell, Lynard Hall.
Backs: Nick Mogford, Wallace Sullivan, Israel Dagg.
* Havelock North: Johnny Robin, Andy Barham, Matt Gordon, Bronson Neera, Levi Armstrong, Ihaia West; Junior Armstrong, Zane Rangi, Carl Anderson, Luke Heavey, Rhys Evans, Luke Ottley (captain), Brendon Edmonds, Sam Lamborn, Rob Freeman.
Substitutes, forwards: Chad Harris, Emmanuel Maui, Rangi Vallance, Tony Lamborn.
Backs: Minaru Itchikawa, Brad Nicol, Brendan Solomon.